1. WHICH COMPANY TOPS CORPORATE GIVING?: The bank Wells Fargo donated $315.8 million last year as the top corporate giver in the country, surpassing former leader Wal-Mart. The Chronicle of Philanthropy compiled the rankings, which also included Chevron Corporation, Goldman Sachs Groups, and Exxon Mobil Corporation in the top five. Los Angeles Times: http://lat.ms/1449Yon
2. AN OVER-THE-TOP FOOD TOUR: The company VeryFirstTo will arrange a tour of every three-star Michelin restaurant in the world—for $275,000. Huffington Post: "Technically if you planned this gastro-tastic romp yourself, you'd probably be spending less. But then you'd also have to snag really hard reservations, book a ton of hotels, and navigate airfare." http://huff.to/12rpyVG
3. TRACKING GUESTS BY CELL PHONE: New technology lets retail stores track their customers—and by extension event guests or trade show attendees—as they walk through the floor plan, allowing them to rethink layouts and offer special deals based on cell phone Wi-Fi signal. Customers balked at the potential privacy innovation, although experts note it's similar data to what online retailers collect. New York Times: "Realeyes, based in London, which analyzes facial cues for responses to online ads, monitors shoppers’ so-called happiness levels in stores and their reactions at the register. Synqera, a start-up in St. Petersburg, Russia, is selling software for checkout devices or computers that tailors marketing messages to a customer’s gender, age, and mood, measured by facial recognition." http://nyti.ms/1dzlyHM
* LOCAL NEWS *
BOSTON: Collegefest, the largest attended back-to-school festival in the country, is October 12 at the Hynes Convention Center and will be attended by more than 15,000 college students in the New England area.
CHICAGO: County Barbeque is now open on Taylor Street. The homey restaurant serves smoked meats, collard greens, and bacon deviled eggs and will begin catering events in August.
LAS VEGAS: Blue Martini will host the fifth annual Little Black Dress Party Saturday. The event will include live entertainment, a luxury raffle, and a weeklong opportunity to register for the Great Santa Run fund-raiser.
LOS ANGELES: Barbecue and grilling chef Adam Perry Lang hosted a media party last week to introduce his cooking to the local food and entertainment crowd while also celebrating the reissue of his book Serious Barbecue.
The Hammer Museum will partner with Bottega Veneta to honor artist Robert Gobert and playwright Tony Kushner at the 11th annual Gala in the Garden October 5.
Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/losangeles
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: Brazilian restaurant Brasileiro opened this weekend in Brickell. The menu includes dishes like blackened cobia and picana fatida. Eater: http://bit.ly/14LG1Hp
NEW YORK: The opening celebration for the summer music and fashion series Sound Waves at the House at the Montauk Beach House is Saturday.
Empire State Pride Agenda’s 21st annual Hamptons Tea Dance was Saturday at Art Hamptons at Nova’s Ark Project.
Local event listings from Masterplanner: http://www.masterplanneronline.com/newyork
ORLANDO: The Tropical Caribbean Festival is August 3 at the Deltona Women's Club and will benefit charities of Asociacion Civico Social Panamena. The event will include a dinner and a performance by Kool Vibes Caribbean Band.
TORONTO: On Wednesday, the new food truck Sweet Snow Shave Ice will stop at the Sony Centre to offer tastes of its Hawaiian-inspired treats.
WASHINGTON: The Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art & Design are hosting a scavenger hunt July 24 through landmarks like the White House and the World War II Memorial inspired by the new exhibit "Ellen Harvey: the Alien's Guide to the Ruins of Washington, D.C."
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With contributions from Jenny Berg in Chicago, Alesandra Dubin in Los Angeles, Mitra Sorrells in Orlando, and Haley Holton, Beth Kormanik, Lauren Matthews, and Anna Sekula in New York.
BizBash Daily is the must-read digest of event industry news from BizBash.com.
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